Insurance value - medalgroup

[Herr General]

I have a medal group with a German medal in it. I would like to insure my medals. What would be a fair assessment for this group?

Netherlands - remembrance medal 1926 - awarded 775 times - with document

Waldeck-Pyrmont - silver medal of merit - with document - with document

Luxembourg - silver medal in the civil and military merit order

Belgium - bronze medal for foreign servants - - with document

Included in the group is a photo of the recipient, a lackey at the dutch court.

[Herr General]

no one with an idea?

[Paul C]

check the current OEK and add 25%

[Ulsterman]

1300 Euros

[Ed_Haynes]

I don't know how things are in the Netherlands, but to do this in the US is extremely difficult, as most general insurers would ask for a formal evalvaution of value by a known source and would not accept the wise advice of friends on an internet forum (however accurate). While there are a few specialist "collection insurance" providers, I have never known anyone who collected from them (not such a bad thing?).

In any case, how would insurance replace an essentially unique item? Maybe that would work if one sees collecting as merely an investment strategy . . . but maybe not even then?

[Herr General]

Good question! Ofcourse it is impossible to replace such an item. I'm still looking at different options to insure my collection..

[Herr General]

Does anyone now how many silver medal of merits from Waldeck-Pyrmont where awarded?

[Ed_Haynes]

The whole question of insurance is an extremely important question and one to which I don't think anyone has a good answer. Some -- especially here in the US -- see a big dog or a big gun or a big safe or a big ___ as a solution. Personally, I think that avoids the question and tries to turn a serious concern into something cute.

The difficulty, of course, is value. Most of what we collect has intrinsic value (the silver, gold, whatever) that is only a small percentage of market value. Most insurers can see the intrinsic value but cannot comprehend the phaleristic/historical value. The market value, of course, is only what some damn fool will pay for the item at a real (non-e$cam) auction, and we all know how bizarre such venues have become recently.